While I would disagree that the film is "totally unique" (there certainly are many "de ja vu" moments), it certainly is an amazing example of a spiritual police / gangster drama, full of surprising, pleasant subtleties, a pair of extremely complex and unusual leading characters, amazing form (the cinematography was stunning, imho) and a minimalist, but fine score by Wojciech Kilar and, to top it all, probably the best car chase in recent American cinema (those who have seen the film will surely know what I mean) which, altogether, made my decision to include it on my TOP 20 list of the year. This sujet definitely stood in the rain within the last few years and this finally was an effort which, to me, was easy to praise.
(This post may seem a little empty but I already had an extensive and exciting discussion with A and Matalo Matango)

Yes, it's not necessarily always unique in what it seems to show, but in how it chooses to show it. Underneath the surface there is always a lot more going on than one would suppose. That's what I loved about it. How for example the heroine doesn't die but instead leaves the protagonist. Or how casually it is shown that she is responsible for the death of his father. And how his best friend turns out to be a traitor, but in the end a friend after all. On paper it doesn't sound very exciting or innovative, but in the film there is always one more twist to every story.